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Are EVs suitable for low usage?
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They're Chinese built, and the quality is reputedly as good as you'd expect from the price...coffeehound wrote: »Blimey that is good isn't it: £22k for a largish EV.
If somebody's going to hit the wrong pedal in any automatic, they're going to do it in an EV, too...One other thing I meant to ask: is unintended acceleration syndrome a similar problem with EVs, or do they have some safeguards?0 -
I am not convinced the premium paid for an EV would be worth it.
As already stated, the more use the more saved.
One would need to crunch the numbers a bit further but considering the low predicted mileage, it would take a very long time before one is worthwhile.
Most modern small cars will do 50 mpg, 2000 miles would use around 40 gallons or 181 litres.
181 x £1.23 a litre is £222.
Something like a EVBOX Elvi home charger would cost around £650 with installation.
That's nearly 3 years before you recouped the cost of the home charger, let alone recouped anything from the purchase price.
I would probably consider a self changing Hybrid, like a Toyota Yaris Hybrid.
A lot cheaper to buy, no recharging problems or costs.
5 year warranty ( and a 15 year powertrain warranty) so a late used model would still make some sense.
Worried about unintended acceleration? Make sure is comes with some sort of city brake control (standard on the Yaris)0 -
But would a three-pin plug be adequate?
You need an unbelievably expensive lead that is not supplied with the car.
The one for a Nissan Leaf is a £300 extra- it isn't just a bit of wire, there is some sort of magic box "charger".
I looked at getting the poverty battery Leaf second hand, but I would never pay the purchase price of the car back in the lifetime of the car, unless petrol quadruples in price.I want to go back to The Olden Days, when every single thing that I can think of was better.....
(except air quality and Medical Science
)0 -
I am not convinced the premium paid for an EV would be worth it.
As already stated, the more use the more saved.
One would need to crunch the numbers a bit further but considering the low predicted mileage, it would take a very long time before one is worthwhile.
Most modern small cars will do 50 mpg, 2000 miles would use around 40 gallons or 181 litres.
181 x £1.23 a litre is £222.
Something like a EVBOX Elvi home charger would cost around £650 with installation.
That's nearly 3 years before you recouped the cost of the home charger, let alone recouped anything from the purchase price.
I would probably consider a self changing Hybrid, like a Toyota Yaris Hybrid.
A lot cheaper to buy, no recharging problems or costs.
5 year warranty ( and a 15 year powertrain warranty) so a late used model would still make some sense.
Worried about unintended acceleration? Make sure is comes with some sort of city brake control (standard on the Yaris)
The purchase price doesn't necessarily reflect the cost of ownership. Sure, it's a barrier to entry, but unless a £25k EV is worth the same amount at resale time as a £15k ICE in however many years/miles, comparing purchase price is very misleading.
What's important is the expected depreciation. If the EV is worth £20k after 3yrs, and the ICE now only worth £7k, then the EV is already cheaper to run before you even factor in fuel/service/VED savings. This is where EV's are excelling currently, as there is low supply and demand is rising. There is no reason to expect this to realistically change in the coming years, as new EV's are still a way off being delivered in real numbers.
You can also get a £500 OLEV grant, so that £650 would turn into £150.
With regards to getting a hybrid, I still don't see what the problem or cost of charging is? Despite the poor naming scheme, the Yaris needs petrol to charge, and it's far more convenient and far cheaper to charge at home than at a petrol station.But would a three-pin plug be adequate?
Yes, but as above, it's not efficient nor necessarily safe to use a 3-pin charger for continually charging a car. A dedicated EV charger is definitely better for a magnitude of reasons, including speed, safety, efficiency and the longevity of the EV battery.You need an unbelievably expensive lead that is not supplied with the car.
The one for a Nissan Leaf is a £300 extra- it isn't just a bit of wire, there is some sort of magic box "charger".
I looked at getting the poverty battery Leaf second hand, but I would never pay the purchase price of the car back in the lifetime of the car, unless petrol quadruples in price.
I bought a 3-pin emergency granny charger for £150. Some sellers will provide the granny charger in with the sale. I came across many private ads like that.
But what are you comparing the used Leaf to? Presumably you are running another car instead, and that wasn't free?0 -
But what are you comparing the used Leaf to? Presumably you are running another car instead, and that wasn't free?
A car that is paid for and owes me nothing, but would only be worth £1500 tops against a £7000 leaf (+ £300 for the lead, most dealers and sellers keep the lead, and put it on eBay separate for £200).
Then the leaf would cost 5p a mile versus 15p a mile, so it saves 10p a mile, meaning I need to manage 58,000 miles to break even, by which time the leaf would be worth scrap money, even if I'm still alive
A leaf would have been a good idea 10 years ago, when I was commuting 150 miles a week, it would have paid for itself by now.
If I had to buy a car today, to last another 20 years, then I'd seriously consider a leaf, but the numbers don't make sense for me to replace my car.I want to go back to The Olden Days, when every single thing that I can think of was better.....
(except air quality and Medical Science)0 -
To answer the OPs question, if they are buying it outright from their retirement savings, (you really can't take it with you, and if you later need care the State will have it) then I'd say buy one.
Once you have paid for it, then the running costs are 5p a mile. You get an automatic transmission, and convenience features like it will defrost without having to leave the engine running on the drive.
The human tendency is once you have paid for something you forget about the money. It is why people will pay £10,000 to buy a car that does 60mpg rather than keep their RangeRover that does 15mpg, even though you can drive the Rangerover for 30,000 miles with what it would cost to buy a microcar.I want to go back to The Olden Days, when every single thing that I can think of was better.....
(except air quality and Medical Science)0 -
A car that is paid for and owes me nothing, but would only be worth £1500 tops against a £7000 leaf (+ £300 for the lead, most dealers and sellers keep the lead, and put it on eBay separate for £200).
Then the leaf would cost 5p a mile versus 15p a mile, so it saves 10p a mile, meaning I need to manage 58,000 miles to break even, by which time the leaf would be worth scrap money, even if I'm still alive
A leaf would have been a good idea 10 years ago, when I was commuting 150 miles a week, it would have paid for itself by now.
If I had to buy a car today, to last another 20 years, then I'd seriously consider a leaf, but the numbers don't make sense for me to replace my car.
Ah OK...yes there will also be a cost associated with changing car, but I wouldn't be so sure it will be worth scrap.
The Leaf is probably a bad example, as the lack of active battery cooling does make them more susceptible to battery degradation, but many other EV's are seeing very minimal degradation after many thousands of miles.
There are all sorts of possibilities when the battery starts approaching the end of it's life too. Many third parties are coming up that will offer upgrades to larger capacity batteries to breathe new life into the car, as well as increase range. Using older recycled cells mean pretty modest outlays. There is also the idea of using the old batteries as home storage, which will hopefully gain more traction as EV adoption increases. I know this is something Nissan/Renault are developing already.
I've personally been very surprised that my EV has been cheaper than even running no car at all, but appreciate it's only been 7months so far, and the sale price is hypothetical...!0 -
Oh, one thing that puts me off, living in what is rapidly becoming the car crime capital of the UK, is the chance of my £300 charger lead still being there in the morning is probably about as good as that of still having a Fiesta ST parked there.I want to go back to The Olden Days, when every single thing that I can think of was better.....
(except air quality and Medical Science)0 -
Oh, one thing that puts me off, living in what is rapidly becoming the car crime capital of the UK, is the chance of my £300 charger lead still being there in the morning is probably about as good as that of still having a Fiesta ST parked there.
Lol...the cable gets locked to the car 0
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